Group of Six Nations: Can injury-plagued England capitalize on their momentum towards a Grand Slam?

Expectations are high for England heading into 2026 and there is ample opportunity to maintain an upward trajectory under Steve Borthwick.

Their year begins with the Six Nations, where they will defeat champions France and face France in the tournament final in Paris on March 14.

Arriving at the Stade de France with the chance of a first Grand Slam in a decade feels like the bare minimum for an English side that is steadily on the rise.

After all, they have won 11 games in a row since last season’s Six Nations, including a superb victory over New Zealand.

However, to achieve these ambitions, a new set of challenges must be overcome – and the Test will provide the latest measure of progress under Borthwick, as well as a snapshot of the state of British rugby one year on from the Rugby World Cup.

An untimely front-row injury crisis has ended tight ends Will Stewart (Achilles) and Asher Opoku-Forteyore (shoulder) before the game began, while loose ends Finn Baxter’s availability is also up in the air after calf surgery.

The depth Borthwick has developed over the past 12 months therefore faces an immediate and thorough test, but it is a challenge he has no choice but to accept.

“We had some trouble getting props, but that created opportunities for other people,” he told us Sky Sports.

“We’ve got the depth chart planned. Tom Harrison, our scrum coach, is very focused on those front rows and he knows exactly who the next guys are.

“So while we don’t necessarily want this disruption and we don’t necessarily want new players to change things, we are prepared for it.”

Misfortunes for Stuart, Opoku-Fordjour and Baxter were opportunities for Vilikesa ‘Billy’ Sela, Emmanuel Iyogun and Greg Fisilau.

The uncapited trio – Bath’s 20-year-old Serra, Northampton’s slacker Iyogun and Exeter’s number eight Fesilao – have been called up as reinforcements and have a chance to put themselves firmly in the spotlight a year on from the World Cup.

How they adapt, or don’t adapt, to the pressure of the Test pitch adds another fascinating dimension to England’s campaign. Will they sink, or take their chance and swim? Time will tell and England’s title aspirations may well hinge on the result.

England’s squad for the 2026 Six Nations

Steve Borthwick named three uncapped players, Greg Fesilao, Velixa Serra and Emmanuel Iyogun, as part of England’s Six Nations squad.

forward: Ollie Chesson (Leicester Tigers), Arthur Clarke (Gloucester), Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Searle Sharks), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Tom Curry (Searle Sharks), Theo Dan (Saracens), Trevor Davison (Northampton), Ben Earle (Saracens), Greg Fesilau (Exeter Chiefs), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Hayes (Leicester Tigers), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Emmanuel Iogun (Northampton Saints), Guy Pepper (Bath Rugby), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), Bevin Lord (Sale Sharks), Velixa Serra (Bath Rugby), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby)

Back: Henry Arundel (Bath Rugby), Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Emmanuel Fay-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), George Furbank (Northampton Saints) , Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Kaden Mulley (Harlequins), Max Ojomo (Bath Rugby), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath Rugby), Freddie Stewart (Leicester Tigers), Jack van Pultfleet (Leicester Tigers)